China Airlines B737 Fire at Okinawa

[armchairpilot94116]

black boxes recovered

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/fron.../22/2003375265

[madherb]

External cameras would be an advantage in such situations - don't know how expensive they are, probably get the bean counters screaming if retrofits were mandated. But they do work nicely, and depending on where they are mounted most of the exterior can be covered.

Might just save the day somewhere.......

[SIC]

Some Japanese and Taiwan aviation experts ( yes those guys ) are now slagging the pilots on TV for not checking that everybody was out of the cabin before they evacuated themselves. What the hell were they supposed to do - grab a handheld and go look under every burning seat?

Good one for GENGHIS - Thought I'd brighten up your day a bit : A Taiwanese TV program now reporting that one of the reasons EVA has never had an accident is due to the fact that management requires all cabin crew to be vegetarian. As background many people in Taiwan become vegetarian for a few months as a 'sacrifice' to the gods when they need some good luck for a new business/relationship etc etc.

[gulliBell]

I am a Rotorhead (pilot) forum watcher and have swung onto this forum out of interest of the China Airlines B737 fire (I am in China at the moment and the incident has been reported widely here in the media, maybe because of the Taiwan factor?). Anyway, I just wanted to say that many of the respondents have been very informative and my interest is stoked on where this thread might lead to - well done!

I would like to throw a "what-if" to the forum. Given that the aircraft was very close to docking at the airbridge when the fire developed, what-if the fire had of started just as the aircraft had docked, how might the outcome have been different? Is there a procedure for the ground support crew to push a burning aircraft away from the terminal? I guess that once the park brake is set, that's where the plane stays. Imagine if a fuel fed fire had of engulfed the terminal, that might have had very dire consequences.

Edit: on CCTV news tonight they showed the Investigators concentrating on the right hand engine cone.

[Mike773]

I'm happy to be corrected, but I think the spot in question doesn't have a boarding bridge; an "open spot". That's what it looks like from the Jepp chart and photos anyway, but I've never been there so can't be sure.

[bvcu]

The mention of cameras is a valid one as they have been a standard fit on B777-300/ER and 345/6 for a number of years now basically for ground manouevering but useful for the crew to see whats going on whilst on the ground, generally pretty reliable with very few problems.

[Few Cloudy]

They all made it

Well whatever could have been done "better", let us be of good cheer, that this accident, unlike so many others has had a pretty good humane outcome.

When you watched those passengers shooting down the slides in threes and fours, it showed just how quickly it can go, when you have obedient passengers leaving their posessions and going for it.

This incident will provide much needed experience of aircraft escape drill and also fire flashover timing.

FC.

[lomapaseo]

FC

When you watched those passengers shooting down the slides in threes and fours, it showed just how quickly it can go, when you have obedient passengers leaving their posessions and going for it.

This incident will provide much needed experience of aircraft escape drill and also fire flashover timing.

Could you cite some related support for your comments above, associated with this incident.

I just don't see it

[Maude Charlee]

Amongst other things, it's a timely reminder why the gobby, half-drunk know-it-alls down the back ought to shut their holes and pay attention whilst the crew run through the pre-departure safety drills. They're not just there to sell you more Stella and Pringles - one day your life will quite literally depend on them.

[polarbearjim]

Did anybody notice the brave soul towards the end of the video link posted by RobertS975 who in pulling an extinguisher trolley over to the right engine, recieves a face full of foam from the fire truck?

[Clarence Oveur]

Im almost afraid to say anything

If that is the best you can come up with you should be.

What an utterly useless post.

[Rainboe]

Look armchairpilot94116, You know nothing of this, would you please leave the discussion to people who know what they are talking about? That was a useless, troublemaking post. You are tryiing to start up a Boeing/AB argument. Comments about your girlfriend and your personal cabin evacuation briefing to her are totally uncalled for in a discussion about a fire incident that appears to have been handled impeccably.

[forget]

For God's sake! Mods - it may be time for instant pruning (no pun intended at all) when something as serious as this is being discussed.
What the hell was the point of this from marciovp.

I would like to throw a "what-if" to the forum. Given that the aircraft was very close to docking at the airbridge when the fire developed, what-if the fire had of started just as the aircraft had docked, how might the outcome have been different? Is there a procedure for the ground support crew to push a burning aircraft away from the terminal? I guess that once the park brake is set, that's where the plane stays. Imagine if a fuel fed fire had of engulfed the terminal, that might have had very dire consequences.

Scares me!

[Rainboe]

It needs a visit from the Headmaster. Any serious discussion of any incident gets drowned in a morass of troublemaking (attempted AB-Boeing trouble-stirring), daft inane comment from people who know nothing, and desperately rapid attempts to be first to stake a claim to possible causes of accidents (take a look at the ridiculous speculation of the Kenyan incident). Trouble is too many people are sitting there and all it takes is a bit of typing, an 'Enter' key, and you don't even have to be very good at Microsoft FlightSim! If only they would sit there and shut up and try and learn if they are interested instead of giving us the wealth of their (non) experience! There are too many people here saying too many ridiculous things- it drowns out the good stuff totally from people who are experienced in the industry in whatever branch, and who know what they are talking about.

[marciovp]

Sorry

I did not think that I said something so terrible. But I guess it was by the response I got. I just read what the was said and tried to imagine the scenario. If I did something that went against the goals of this discussion or if I was insensitive or inappropriate I want to apologize and I am deleting my poster.

I respect a lot you all and I like to be here as someone who is adding to the discussion not as someone who should be banned.

Thanks

[PAXboy]

Few Cloudy

When you watched those passengers shooting down the slides in threes and fours, it showed just how quickly it can go, when you have obedient passengers leaving their posessions and going for it.

As has been pointed out, some pax did have their bags with them. Also, my suggestion, the evac was fast and good because the a/c had just arrived and people were awake and THINKING about getting of the a/c, man would have already have stood up and focusing on the doors. Had this have happened on departure, say whilst taxying to the active, then it might have been different.

Wonderful to see 'the system' work.

[forget]

marciovp, Now you've made me feel like a An awful lot of people here have a great deal of operational experience and they should be given centre stage. Let's just stick with the facts, so far, and 'sensible' opinions.

[interpreter]

Having watchd the excellent and lengthy Japanese video of the incident post evacuation I was surprised to see that although one fire tender stayed at the rear on the starboard side the other truck did not go right round the nose of the aircraft to extinguish the fire clearly emanating from the port side. They had successfully quelled the fire on the starboard side but poured foam over the top of the aicraft on flames the source of which they couldnt see. Trying to stay up-wind? Perhaps I am nitpicking.

[Rainboe]

If the Headmaster visits- he will be very angry and hand out bans and canings (if you are lucky). I suggest some self regulation to show a proper discussion can be carried out! If you are not experienced in the industry or aviation, you think very carefully before posting- by all means I suggest sensible questions are OK, but do not criticise unduly pending the enquiry, or suggest you know a better way of doing things. We do not need the benefit of extensive Flightsim experience!

Let's stick to FACTS and related comments and related incidents and pertinent comment.....and we'll all be happier! Please let's not repeat the idiocy of the Kenyan B737 thread.

[Ben_S]

Im almost afraid to say anything but seems nobody has started to bash Boeing yet.

Shame it was almost, having read a lot of the rubbish you came out with in the other thread you refer to, sometimes I wonder why the likes of us are allowed to view, let alone respond to, threads on PPRuNe.

Now to keep my post on topic, glad to see everyone made it out reasonably safely.